Rules to prevent abuse set at U of I

URBANA (AP) – The University of Illinois enacted new policies Thursday that were developed in response to the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State University.

Under the new rules, all employees and students will be required to complete sexual harassment training. Also, any employee who has regular contact with minors will be subject to a criminal background check.

The university will be mandated to keep records of all events that involve minors, such as sports camps.

The new polices, reviewed Thursday at a board of trustees meeting, apply to all university campuses and associated facilities.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced this month for sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period.

“The University has always had good safeguards, but these new policies take our efforts further — implementing the best practices that have emerged since the tragedies at Penn State,” said Maureen Parks, the university’s associate vice president for human resources. “They clearly outline acceptable standards for behavior, the consequences of bad behavior, and the legal and moral responsibility that our employees share in campus safety.”

A university-wide task force developed the new policies after nearly a year of work.

A recent amendment to state law will soon require all university employees to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect.